


buy me diamonds

by angelinqs



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, M/M, Mutual Pining, dont get attached to anyone, long talks, rivals(?) to friends to lovers, thicc fluff, trigger warning for implied homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-06-29 21:59:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15738150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelinqs/pseuds/angelinqs
Summary: Phil Lester and his family are wanted criminals. Dan Howell is the mayor’s secluded son. His life is pretty uneventful until the Lester clan pulls up to a new jewelry store for their biggest heist yet, and Dan just happens to be driving by. Will Phil be willing to give up everything his family ever desired for one pretty boy?





	1. preface

Daniel Howell sat, bored, at his mother’s press conference. It seemed to be the hundredth of the day, and he couldn’t get away from them. They were currently discussing the political something-or-other in respect to the climate and blah, blah, blah. 

 

Dan groaned quietly, struggling to maintain an attentive posture while his mind was elsewhere. Off to his left, his mother cleared her throat. 

 

“Hm?” Dan blinked to rid the glazed-over look from his eyes, making contact with an old man across the table. “I’m sorry, what?”

 

The man scoffed. “I asked, Mr Howell, how your mother’s place in politics affects your social life.” Dan noted that it was more of a statement than a question at this point. Pretending to think, he leaned into the microphone.

 

“Actually, I don’t have much of a social life. I’m guessing it’s because they’re intimidated. With my mother being the mayor and all.” He considered throwing in some big words in there, but decided against it. That would just make the media portray him as a secluded, pretentious jerk. ‘As if they saw me as anything else’, he thought. That was the real reason he didn’t have friends - he really didn’t talk to people, and even if he did, the image of his  
not-especially amazing mother was already burned into their minds. She wasn’t loved by the city, and the media made sure to milk that as much as they could. 

 

“I see.” said the old man, whose name, Dan discovered, was Matthew something or other. And with that, the attention was off of him, and he could go back to daydreaming.

 

——

 

On what may have very well been the other side of the world, Philip and Martyn Lester bolted out of a petrol station.

 

“Go, go, go!” Martyn Lester shouted. Bags upon bags of goods and currency from the station’s till was held in their arms; Cornelia came running out seconds later, the shopkeeper’s expensive wristwatch and wallet in her hands. “Just a bonus!” she said, winking at Martyn. They ran towards a car on the side of the road, threw open the door, and sped off - Cornelia in the driver’s seat, Martyn in shotgun, and Phil in the back. 

 

Martyn let out an exhilarated laugh. “Holy shit, guys. That was a steal!” He shared a kiss with Cornelia. Phil snorted, feigning a gagging noise. Martyn gave him the finger with a teasing smile on his face.

 

“Serious time, boys,” said the red haired girl. “That was pretty big, but I think we can do better.” 

 

She pulled out her phone and tapped the screen a couple times, showing her results to the others. “New jewelry shop has opened up. By the looks of them, the clerks are complete newbies. Probably know nothing about business! What say we teach them a little something about managing a career?” A smirk played across her face, and Phil matched it. 

 

“Address?” he asked.

 

“I’ll text it to you.”

 

Sirens droned in the distance, and Cornelia pressured the gas pedal harder. “Fuck speed limits!” she cackled, en route to the Lester family bunker. It wasn’t but an abandoned factory covered in graffiti, but it was home. Or, rather, as close to home as they could be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brunette was snapped out of his fantasy by a shrill alarm. He jumped violently and looked for the source, which seemed to be the bank next to his car. Cops surrounded the place, which Dan chastised himself for failing to notice. What he did notice, however, was a handsome black haired boy sprinting out. He had four full bags with him, and it looked like he was running straight to Dan.

“Daniel, where are you going?” Dan rolled his eyes at his mother’s tone.

 

“Out, mum. For a drive.”

 

“Well, be back in time for the interview! The press wants to know all!”

 

Her false cheery tone only sped up Dan’s already fast-paced walk. He really, really didn’t want to talk to the press. They’d already ruined whatever chance at a social life he had had before his mother was seen as a shitty leader - now they were going to beat the “socially outcast mayor’s son” troupe until it was dead.

 

‘Know all?’ Dan thought. What the hell does that mean? “All” would be telling the mob that he’s gay, an idea that Mayor Howell is trying very hard to cover up. “All” would be revealing that his mother used her position to lie, cheat and steal. He hated the press, and he hated his mother - right now, he just had to drive.

 

As he exited his mother’s office building, he gave a nod and smile to Thomas, the doorman. Thomas was the only person Dan had a good relationship with in this whole building. He didn’t treat Dan like some bomb about to go off, or a sad little kitten that needs to be given immense amounts of attention. To Thomas, Dan was just another guy. 

 

Thomas recognized all of the shirts Dan wore, from Muse to Harry Styles’ merchandise. He proceeded to quote something related to it; for example, when Dan wore his “TREAT PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS” shirt, Thomas started humming “Sign of the Times”. They silently made it a game; Dan’s end goal was to wear one piece of merchandise that Thomas did not recognize. He had not yet succeeded.

 

Dan speed walked through the cold British winter towards his car. He opened the door and slid in, slamming his head on the steering wheel and swearing when it hurt. Glancing into his mirror, he realized a knot was starting to form. Great. He could see the misleading headlines now.

 

He shoved his key into the hole. His car roared to life, and Dan smashed the gas pedal. He could not get away from that building fast enough. 

 

The brunette drove until he felt like he could take a breath. Slowing to a stop, Dan groaned and pulled over. He didn’t want to go home. But he really didn’t want to get swarmed by the press as soon as he stepped out of his car. Couldn’t he just stay here? He really could make a life for himself - sleeping in the backseat, getting drive-through food… not too bad. 

 

Dan was snapped out of his fantasy by a shrill alarm. He jumped violently and looked for the source, which seemed to be the bank next to his car. Cops surrounded the place, which Dan chastised himself for failing to notice. What he did notice, however, was a handsome black haired boy sprinting out. He had four full bags with him, and it looked like he was running straight to Dan. 

 

When the boy reached the car, Dan tensed. The boy threw open the car door and jumped into the backseat. 

 

“Drive!” he shouted. 

 

Dan gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white. He remembered what Thomas taught him to do if anyone tried to threaten or hurt him. Taking a quick look into the mirror, Dan’s heart skipped a beat. The guy really was gorgeous. It was one thing to see him moving quickly down a flight of steps, but another to see him up close. His ocean blue eyes briefly made contact with Dan’s chocolate ones. Realizing he’d been staring at a literal stranger for a good fifteen seconds, he shook his head to break out of the trance and cleared his throat. Taking a deep breath, he answered calmly, “Are you mugging me?”

 

“No! Just fucking drive!”

 

Dan, not wanting to risk having a gun pointed at his head, slammed his foot on the gas and booked it, the stranger putting his hood up and head down. 

 

Glancing at him in the rearview mirror, Dan bit his lip. “Are you in trouble?”

 

“I may be in a spot of trouble, yeah.” 

 

God, what was he doing? The guy in his backseat seemed to want to come off as nonchalant and edgy, but where his hood wasn’t obscuring his face, he looked really scared. And if he’d had a gun, it would have been out a long time ago. Before Dan could change his mind, he took a sharp left turn that sent the other flying across the backseat. “What the hell?!”

 

“We’re going somewhere safe, don’t worry.”

 

An obvious shadow of fear passed across the boy’s face. “You’re not turning me in, are you?” Dan noticed his voice cracking at the end. 

 

“...No? Though, you’re gonna have to tell me what’s going on when we get there.”

 

The boy didn’t answer. 

 

Dan stopped at an old park. Shards of broken glass were strewn across the dirty ground, and the remains of a rusty swing set lay forgotten. “My mum swore to clean this place up, but it was an empty promise; not unlike most things in her career.”

 

The boy seemed to make a strangled noise. “You’re the mayor’s son?” He attempted to open the car door, but Dan had them locked. 

 

“Whoa, it’s okay. I literally couldn’t care less about this town or who’s in it. I didn’t ask for her as a mother.”

 

The black haired boy slowly went back to his sitting position, but kept his hand on the door handle.

 

“C’mon, we get out here.”

 

Dan opened the door and put his hand over his eyes to block the sun out. Ahead of him was a giant wall of vegetation. Ugly, obnoxious weeds grew through the fence that supported the plants; but that wasn’t what interested Dan.

 

The other boy slowly came out of the car, his head still down. Dan gestures towards a hole in the bottom of the fence. “Shall we?”

 

Without missing a beat, he slid through the large hole and into the area behind it. His tagalong did the same after a couple seconds. Behind the plant covered fence stood a small building - abandoned, save for the visits Dan made. “I come here when I’m feeling shitty. Which is often.” he explained, leading Phil towards the entrance. “It’s an old rec center. It was shut down because teens kept spreading rumors that it was haunted, and that kids were killed in there. Eventually, people stopped coming, and they went out of business.

 

“There’s surprisingly good signal, and I started stacking up on snacks when I started using it. There are at least fifteen boxes of cereal, candy in the closet, and a portable fridge filled with drinks and shit. Make yourself at home. Only ground rule; you cannot touch my Crunchy Nut.”

 

They entered the center, and the boy seemed to be taken back at the sight. It was evident on his face.

 

“Sorry, I’m guessing you don’t have much experience with abandoned buildings.”

 

“You’d be surprised.”

 

Dan did not know what that meant, so he reminded himself to ask later. “I got the electricity and water to work, somehow. It’s being charged to the previous owner. I heard he was a dick who deserves it, though.”

 

The boy cracked a smile at that, and a warm feeling spread through Dan’s chest. He wanted to see that smile again.

 

“What’s your name? You probably already know, but I’m Dan Howell.”

 

The boy hesitated, then removed his hood. “Phil. Phil... Taylor.”

 

Dan found himself gaping. This guy - Phil - was actually extremely attractive. His hair was raised in a raven black quiff— the color was a nice contrast to his piercing ocean blue eyes. And his shoulders. Wow, he had broad shoulders. 

 

“Nice to meet you, Phil.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! i’m feeling inspired, so except some updates in the coming days
> 
> i desperately need a schedule to stick to, so right now we’re going with twice a week; wednesday’s and friday’s.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> excerpt ; 
> 
> The two finished their bowls, and made their way back to Dan’s car. He helped Phil carry the bags to their building, and only reached a bit of trouble when the bag wouldn’t initially fit through the gap in the fence. Dan couldn’t suppress a giggle when Phil tried to push the full bag into the hole, and succeeded in knocking himself over.

“So what’s your deal?”

Phil looked up from his bowl of Frosties. Another point went to him in Dan’s book; Frosties were the best type of cereal. “What do you mean?” 

“You know what I mean. Why are you here? Why were you running away?” Dan gestures vaguely with his spoon.

“I… my family was in the holdup that happened in that bank. It was a hostage situation. They told me to run, so I did.”

“Oh, God, Phil. I’m so sorry.” Based on the look that Phil wore, Dan quickly realized he didn’t want sympathy. He awkwardly raised a hand and patted the other boy’s arm. Phil raised his eyebrows, a smirk playing on his face. Coughing, Dan quickly removed it. 

“And the bags?”

Phil seemed to tense. “Our stuff.” It didn’t seem like he was going to expand on that, so Dan left it. 

“D’you want to grab them from my car, or…?”

“Yeah.”

The two finished their bowls, and made their way back to Dan’s car. He helped Phil carry the bags to their building, and only reached a bit of trouble when the bag wouldn’t initially fit through the gap in the fence. Dan couldn’t suppress a giggle when Phil tried to push the full bag into the hole, and succeeded in knocking himself over. 

Phil gave him a dirty look, but it soon melted into a smile. They both slid through the hole and made their way back to the recreation center. 

“We can put these in the storage closet, unless you want them somewhere else?” Dan gestured towards a large door. The other boy nodded and pulled it open. After placing the bags in the space, they flopped down on the couch.

The silence was awkward, no tasks to distract the pair from making actual conversation. The quiet grew like a lump in Dan’s throat, and he tentatively asked, “So, do you like any music?”

Phil propped himself onto his elbows. “I’m a big fan of Muse. I have been since I was about twelve.”

At this, Dan perked up. “You like Muse? Me too! Okay, favorite album, go.”

“Agh, I can’t choose! Absolution is most definitely up there, though. You?”

“I gotta say The 2nd Law. Absolutely slaps.”

Phil giggled. “‘Slaps’? What the hell?” 

Dan threw a small cushion at him. “That’s what all the kids are saying these days.”

“You would know.”

They talked and talked and talked, until Phil abruptly sat up. His cerulean eyes focused everywhere but Dan. 

His words all came out in a rush. “Dan, I was wondering if I could crash here for a while. I can’t go home, and I don’t exactly have any family that I can stay with, and I really don’t want to impose on your safe place, so it’s okay if you say no — ”

“Phil,” Dan laughed, cutting him off. “Of course you can stay. I told you to make yourself at home! Stay as long as you need to. If you need me, I can help you get your situation sorted out.”

He seemed to sink into the couch, most of his stress gone. “Thank you. Really.” He shot Dan a soft smile, which made Dan’s heart melt into a puddle on the tile floor.

“It’s - it’s not a problem.” He pressed a pillow over his face to cover the spreading of redness from Phil. With a quick glance at the clock, he swore. “God, I’m sorry. I have to go. I’ll be back, but my mum’s gonna have an aneurysm if I’m not back in time to talk to the reporters and shit.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon?”

“Definitely.”

“Don’t talk about me too much.”

Dan just made a small choking sound. There was no hiding the tomato red this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short one, but just you wait. i have a lot planned for this fic, and the chapters will start lengthening! 
> 
> sorry for the inconsistency - i’ve started school and there’s less time to work on this. it’s high on my list of priorities though, and i hope i can develop some sort of schedule soon! :)
> 
> also, small note; i think i’m in need of a beta. if you are interested, please comment on here or message me on tumblr at @anqelings!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> excerpt ;
> 
> “Phil!”
> 
> The black haired boy’s head snapped up. Strands of his quiff fell onto his forehead, and a blush spread across his pale face.
> 
> “I get back to the place I am graciously letting you stay, and I see the man I would dare call my friend, and I see my fucking Crunchy Nut in your hands?”

“Daniel James Howell. Where the hell are you?”

Dan groaned - a frequent response when interacting with his mum. “I’m out, mum.”

“You snap at me when I speak for you in interviews, then leave me all alone to do so!” 

“I know. But I’m not talking to BBC One or BBTV or whoever’s coming to interrogate me. I’m just gonna be out for a bit, okay? Bye.”

“No, you’re coming home now. If I have to drag you, I w-”

Dan tapped the ‘end call’ button, his mother mid-sentence. He absolutely did not plan to be out “for a bit”. He was most definitely going to spend hours at the rec center, talking with Phil. Oh man, Phil. Dan sighed slightly thinking about him. He was opening up to him, and Dan was ecstatic to have a too-long conversation about Muse again. 

His car pulled into the trash-filled playground, and he stepped over the materials strewn all across the ground. It was a shame - this park used to be the highlight of this neighborhood. With one glance back at the area, Dan slid through the gap in the fence. A spring was in Dan’s step during the short walk to the rec center, until he opened the door. 

“Phil!”

The black haired boy’s head snapped up. Strands of his quiff fell onto his forehead, and a blush spread across his pale face. 

“I get back to the place I am graciously letting you stay, and I see the man I would dare call my friend, and I see my fucking Crunchy Nut in your hands?”

“Look-” Phil started, a giggle rising in his voice, but Dan held up a hand.

“I don’t want to hear it.” He stomped up to Phil and snatched the cereal box. “You couldn’t even use a bowl, you barbarian?”

Phil was laughing uncontrollably now. A grin spread across Dan’s face and he placed the Crunchy Nut onto the table. 

“What’ve you been up to?” Phil asked, falling back onto the couch. 

“I’ve been trying to get here every second of every day, but my mum wouldn’t let me. Technically, I’m not even supposed to be here now, but I had to come see my favorite hobo!”

Dan’s joke fell flat, and Phil fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt. An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Dan mentally smacked himself for the insensitive statement. Phil was opening up, showing himself to Dan, and he had to go and ruin it. 

He counted the seconds. 

“My aunt threatened to kick me out.”

Dan’s mental clock was interrupted. “What?”

Phil’s cerulean eyes met Dan’s. “When I… when I came out. I’m pansexual. My parents were so, so supportive, but Aunt Thelma… not so much. She said I wasn’t a Les- uh, a Taylor, that I wasn’t her nephew anymore. She tried to convince my parents to put me out of the house, but they wouldn’t.” 

His eyes were watering, and Dan felt a pang in his chest. Phil’s story had made him think. He scooted towards Phil and leaned against him. He took a deep breath before his next statement. It wasn’t like nobody knew his sexuality — but it was extended to Thomas and his mother. Mrs. Howell snipped that cord right as she found out. He’d sworn to his mother not to tell anyone else, but for some odd reason, he really trusted Phil. 

“I’m gay,” Dan said. The words fell off his tongue surprisingly easily, as if he was talking with an old friend. “I told my mum and she literally tries to cover up any whisper of it. I’m not ashamed, I’ve wanted to tell people, but I don’t have many friends that would care. So.” Dan gave a dry laugh.

Phil’s stoic face broke into a small smile. “Well, now you have a friend. Who most definitely cares.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for bearing with my slow uploads! i’m getting adjusted to school, and i was kind of enveloped in that. however, i’m at a cruising altitude & uploads should be MOSTLY on schedule.
> 
> with love,  
> haz


End file.
